Welcome to the first half of Split Record Review! This week we’ll be tackling one of the biggest records of 2024: Charli XCX’s “brat.” It’s been well over half a year since “brat summer” took the world by storm. From teenagers in their bedrooms to Kamala Harris, “brat” dominated the cultural zeitgeist for quite a while. Today, we’ll be seeing what Henry has to say!
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, you’ve seen the now-iconic neon green and black Arial text album cover that was meme’d out of existence. “brat” became a cultural icon of zoomers last year, and its impact has yet to diminish nearly nine months later. Though I will admit my knowledge of electronica and EDM don’t extend past the requisite classics for each genre, I still learned to appreciate “brat” for all its glory.
Starting with the bouncy and danceable “360,” Charli’s unmistakable vocals cut through the minimalistic instrumental, supplemented only by 808 claps, staccato synthesizers and synth bass. “Club classics” continues the bombastic energy, this time including a more layered instrumental. Whereas “360” appealed more towards the pop charts, this track leans heavily towards EDM.
Through these first two tracks, Charli shows her ability to create hits while showing off her knowledge of EDM and respecting the genre. Many attempts to fuse a poppy sound with electronic often lead to an out-of-touch and cringeworthy final product, but Charli never takes the easy route on this record.
“Talk talk” isn’t a reference to the 80s British synth-pop group; however, it still nods to classic Europop. Though this track didn’t reach nearly the same heights as “Apple” or “365,” it’s an earworm for sure. The only problem I have with this song is a gripe I have with the rest of the record: Many of the songs are criminally short. Though this can occasionally lend to the track’s character, it often leaves the listener wanting more.
“Von dutch” is another poppy track that could surely sway a crowd into a dancing frenzy. Part of the massive appeal of “brat” is Charli’s unfettered ability to craft an earworm. It’s important to mention that she’s been a massive figure in the game for years now, and her abilities as a songwriter are unwavering.
The grinding bassline on “Girl, so confusing” is reminiscent of hyperpop, which is a somewhat controversial genre among the chronically online. As someone who’s admittedly chronically online, I have a soft spot for hyperpop. “Girl, so confusing” contains many hallmarks of a good hyperpop song, instilling Charli’s ability to jump from subgenre to subgenre with minimal effort.
Now for the big fish: “Apple.” Even if you’ve somehow never listened to “brat,” you’ve heard this song. Being the subject of a viral TikTok dance, “Apple” became the flagship song for the record. What else is there to say that hasn’t been said? There’s a reason it’s become so popular — it’s a stone-cold banger. Not much else to say.
“365” is a great way to end the record. As a closer, it’s incredibly memorable and catchy. Being another massive hit from the record, it’s no surprise. Like “Apple,” many of the bigger hits have already had much said about them. There isn’t much more that I can add besides stating the facts: It’s another banger.
Many artists have the steadfast goal of crafting the “song of the summer.” Charli xcx not only created several songs of the summer but created a movement that defined the entire season. “brat summer” was truly inescapable for a time. In many ways, it never really ended and still affects all of us in some way or another.
Rating: 4/5